Story highlights

During the trial, Bo, 64, denied the charges and strongly challenged the case against him

Bo was sentenced to life for bribe-taking, 15 years for embezzlement and seven years for abuse of power

Shandong Province High People's Court in eastern China is set to deliver the results of the appeal of convicted former Communist party senior Bo Xilai this Friday, October 25, the court announced on its website on Monday.

The Chinese high court agreed to hear the appeal on October 8 after Bo Xilai was sentenced to life in prison for bribe-taking, as well as 15 years for embezzlement and seven years for abuse of power after he was convicted in September.

During the politically sensitive trial, which took place over several days in August, Bo, 64, denied the charges and strongly challenged the prosecution's case against him, according to accounts published by the Jinan Intermediate People's Court.

Bo's glittering career, during which he drew both admirers and detractors for his populist policies, fell apart last year.

A charismatic and urbane politician, Bo was credited with a spectacular, albeit brutal, crackdown on organized crime during his time as the top party official of Chongqing, a metropolis in southwestern China.

But when his deputy, Wang Lijun, walked into the U.S. Consulate in the city of Chengdu in February 2012 and told American diplomats that Bo's wife, Gu Kailai, was involved in a murder case, Bo's career began to unravel.

Wang's move precipitated Bo's political demise. Soon after news of the events began to emerge, Bo was removed from his party posts.

The trial brought to light a wealth of eye-opening details about the apparently lavish and emotionally fraught life of his family and inner circle, giving Chinese people insights into how some of the ruling elite live.